Good Boy by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Title: Good Boy (WAGS #1)

Author: Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: January 31, 2017

Source: ARC from Publicist

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

Hosting her brother’s wedding for an MVP guest list is the challenge of Jess Canning’s life. Already the family screw-up, she can’t afford to fail. And nobody (nobody!) can learn of the colossal mistake she made with the best man during a weak moment last spring. It was wrong, and there will not e a repeat. Absolutely not. Even if he is the sexiest thing on two legs.

Blake Riley sees the wedding as fate’s gift to him. Jess is the maid of honor and he’s the best man? Let the games begin. So what if he’s facing a little (fine, a lot) of resistance? He just needs to convince the stubborn blonde that he’s really a good boy with a bad rap. Luckily, every professional hockey player knows that you’ve got to make an effort if you want to score.

But Jess has more pressing issues to deal with than sexy-times with a giant man-child. Such as: Will the ceremony start on time, even though someone go grandma drunk? Does glitter ever belong at a wedding? And is it wrong to murder the best man?

Caution: May cause accidental aspiration of tea or coffee. Do not read in a public place where loud laughter is inappropriate. Contains hot but hilarious hockey players, puppy cuddling and a snarky pear of underwear.

Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy are easily some of my favourite authors, especially when they join forces. I've loved their past collaborations, and after reading Good Boy I've established I'll read just about anything that has both their names on it.

If you know me, then it's not a secret that I love both Sarina Bowen's and Elle Kennedy's books. In fact they're some of my absolute favourites when it comes to New Adult and romance. It's also not a secret that I absolutely LOVE their collaborations. Him and Us are some of my all-time favourite books. When they announced that there would be more stories set in that world, I was absolutely ecstatic. Especially when I learned who the first book in this new series was going to be about. I mean, right when I finished Us I said that a book about Blake and Jess would make for one hell of a story and it turns out I was totally right. I LOVED Good Boy. Once I started reading, I just refused to put it down because I was that into the story (much to the dismay of the family members I was supposed to be spending time with, what with it being the holidays and all. But Blake and Jess took priority). I just got sucked into their story, into their slightly over-the-top antics that had me laughing out loud (and getting weird looks from my grandparents) while reading. It's pretty much impossible to read this book and not smile at the very least. 

Good Boy was a fantastic story on its own, but what made it truly a stand out for me was Blake and Jess. Both are characters that stole the show when they made appearances in both Him and Us, and getting to read a book all about them made me love them even more. In a way, Jess and Blake are two people you wouldn't quite think fit together but somehow they make it work and make you root for them. Reading, I quickly realized that there was a whole lot more to both of them than their goofiness. In fact, it felt like they often used to goofiness as a front to hide some of the bigger stuff going on in their lives. When they stopped hiding behind that goofiness is when some of my favourite parts of the story happened--those small, more serious moments are what really made me care about Jess and Blake and made me want to see them be happy and get what they wanted. It's what made me go from loving amusing characters to really caring about the two people whose story I was reading.

The synopsis isn't lying, don't read this book when it says this book shouldn't be read in a public place where loud laughter is frowned upon. Seriously, I dare you to read this book and not burst out laughing at least once. It's pretty much impossible. But Good Boy isn't just about the laughs. It's those small, sweet moments that, when combined with the humour, make this story a fantastic read.

Keepsake by Sarina Bowen

Title: Keepsake (True North #3)

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Release Date: October 25, 2016

Source: ARC from Publicist

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

There’s a first time for everything.

Lark Wainwright used to be fearless. Her life was a series of adventures, each one more exhilarating than the last. But her recent overseas adventure was one too many. Now she’s home and in one piece. Mostly. But her nights are filled with terror.

When her best friend offers her a stay at the orchard in exchange for help at the farmers’ markets, Lark jumps at the chance to spend fall in Vermont. But her nightmares don’t stop. Desperate to keep her fragile state a secret, she relies on the most soft-spoken resident of the Shipley Farm to soothe her when her dreams prove too much.

Zachariah is a survivor, too. It’s been four years since he was tossed aside by the polygamist cult where he grew up. He’s found a peaceful existence on the Shipley’s farm, picking apples and fixing machinery. But getting thrown away by your own people at nineteen leaves a mark on a guy. He doesn’t always know what to make of a world where movie quotes are the primary means of communication. Before hitchhiking to Vermont, he’d never watched TV or spoken on the phone.

Actually, there are a lot of things he’s never done.

Zach and Lark slowly grow to trust one another. One night they become even closer than they’d planned. But Lark may still be too broken to trust anyone. When she pushes Zach away, he will have to prove that he’s good for much more than farm labor. 

If you love romance and have yet to read any of Sarina Bowen's books, then you are seriously missing out. I have loved every one I've read and am always left begging for more. Her latest, Keepsake, was everything I hoped it would be and I loved reading every single page of it.

I absolutely LOVE getting to read a new Sarina Bowen book, especially when it's one I feel like I've been looking forward to reading for forever. Reading one of her books is like reconnecting with old friends after not having seen them for a while and feeling like no time at all has passed. And I love that feeling. So it really should come as no surprise that I loved reading Keepsake. In fact, I pretty much devoured it. Zach's story was one I had been curious about for such a long time and I was so happy to finally be able to read it. And the story completely lived up to my expectations. Lark and Zach's story wasn't always an easy one to read, especially when you find out everything's that happened to them to bring them to where they are today. But at the same time, their story gives you hope that no matter how horrible things are at one time, there is always a chance they will get better. that you'll meet someone that will help you leave that horrible past behind. That's very much what Zach and Lark were for each other and I loved seeing their unlikely relationship grow and develop. They might have been an unlikely match, but they just worked and somehow made sense. And I had full faith that they would make it through everything and come out stronger together on the other side. 

In the previous two True North books, Zach was always there in the background, quietly doing his thing. And because we only ever found out the bare minimum about him, I was beyond curious as to what his story was. I loved getting to know him in Keepsake. Even though it wasn't pleasant, I loved finding out about his past and seeing how that past still affected him today. And there were moments where my heart was breaking for him. Because Zach never deserved what happened to him, and despite his doubts, he deserved to be loved and he was worthy of it. And obviously I loved Zach, but that's pretty much a given at this point. Lark was the perfect balance to Zach's quiet nature. Even if she was putting up a front after everything that happened to her in South America. She was struggling so much with everything even though she didn't want to be struggling. I wanted so badly for Lark to find her way back to herself without too much pain, but at the same time the pain was necessary to get her to where she needed to be. It wasn't easy to read, but I loved reading it and seeing it all come together. 

Sarina Bowen's Keepsake was an absolutely beautiful story. Though it wasn't always easy to read, I loved every moment of it and would have happily kept reading about Lark and Zach. And the Shipley clan in general. Based on the ending of Keepsake, I may be getting my wish about that at some point...

Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen

Title: Rookie Move (Brooklyn Bruisers #1)

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: September 6, 2016

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

The first novel in a sexy new series featuring the hockey players of the Brooklynn Bruisers and the women who win their hearts—from the USA Today bestselling author of the Ivy Years series.

In high school they were the perfect couple—until the day Georgia left Leo in the cold…

Hockey player Leo Trevi has spent the last six years trying to do two things: get over the girl who broke his heart, and succeed in the NHL. But on the first day he’s called up to the newly franchised Brooklyn Bruisers, Leo gets checked on both sides, first by the team’s coach—who has a long simmering grudge, and then by the Bruisers’ sexy, icy publicist—his former girlfriend Georgia Worthington.

Saying goodbye to Leo was one of het hardest things Georgia ever had to do—and saying hello again isn’t much easier. Georgia is determined to keep their relationship strictly professional, but when a press conference microphone catches Leo declaring his feelings for her, things get really personal, really fast…

It's no secret that over the last two years Sarina Bowen has absolutely become one of my favourite and go-to authors when it comes to romance. I've read and loved every book she's written and I'm always looking forward to the next one. Her latest, Rookie Move, was just as fantastic as all the others and I loved every moment of it.

Though it's the start of a new series, I loved Rookie Move because it sort of brought me back to the world of Sarina Bowen's Ivy Years series. That series is one of my favourite romance series and I was so happy when this spin-off was announced. I knew there were more stories to be told about some of the hockey players I met in that original series and I was happy that Leo Trevi's story was the one I got. Especially his and Georgia's story. Because from the moment I heard about their past through DJ in The Fifteenth Minute, I knew that was a second chance romance waiting to happen and second chance romances just happen to be some of my favourites. And this one hit all the right notes for me. I got sucked in right from the start, wanting to see how things would play out once Leo realized that his ex-girlfriend was his new team's PR person and his new coach just happened to be said ex-girlfriend's father. Who seriously has it in for him. I mean, how could things not get interesting when that's your starting point? And from that starting point, it just kept getting better. And as is usually the case for me, the reason I loved this story as much as I did (besides the whole second chance romance thing) was the characters.

I know I'm repeating myself, but I had been curious about Leo and Georgia since they were first mentioned in the final Ivy Years book. I knew there was more to Leo than being the big man hockey player on campus and I was so right. I loved getting to know him better in Rookie Move, getting to see who he really was and how he still carried the past with him, especially where Georgia was concerned. It sucked seeing him struggle with that past, but at the same time he had to work through it in order to be able to find his way with Georgia. It sucked, but it was necessary. And that's also true for Georgia. Because Leo was so tied to that one event from their past, she had to find a way to separate him from that event and be able to be with him without constantly remembering the past. And I loved that they were able to move past it all because Georgia and Leo just made sense together, no matter how much they both tried to deny it at various times. Georgia and Leo were great, don't get me wrong, but what I love about Sarina Bowen's books is that the secondary characters always feel completely fleshed out. And in this particular case, it means I'm already excited by the idea of reading O'Doul's story in Hard Hitter and that I might be holding out hope for a story about Silas. And I wouldn't say no to glimpses of Leo and Georgia here and there. Just saying.

In case it wasn't clear, I really loved Sarina Bowen's Rookie Move. It was the perfect start to what promises to be an exciting new series. I can't wait to see where Sarina Bowen goes next with the members of the Brooklyn Bruisers, but I already know I'm pretty sure I'll love it all.

Steadfast by Sarina Bowen

Title: Steadfast (True North #2)

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Release Date: July 12, 2016

Source: ARC from Publicist

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Kobo

She’s the only one who ever loved him—and the only one he can never have.

Jude lost everything one spring day when he crashed his car into an apple tree on the side of the road. A man is dead, and there’s no way he can ever right that wrong. He’d steer clear of Colebury, Vermont forever if he could. But an ex-con in recovery for his drug addiction can’t find a job just anywhere.

For Sophie Haines, coming face to face with the man who broke her heart is gut-wrenching. Suddenly, he’s everywhere she turns. It’s hard not to stare at how much he’s changed. The bad boy who used to love her didn’t have big biceps and sun-kissed hair. And he’d never volunteer in the church kitchen.

She knows it’s foolish to yearn for the man who returned all the heartsick letters she wrote him in prison. But the looks he sends her now speak volumes.

No one wants to see Sophie and Jude back together, least of all Sophie’s police chief father. But it’s a small town. And forbidden love is a law unto itself.

If you haven’t yet read anything by Sarina Bowen, do yourself a favour and go pick up one of her books as soon as possible. With every one of her books that I read, I just become more and more convinced that she can do no wrong. And Steadfast, her latest release, might just be her best yet.

A few weeks ago I completely devoured Sarina Bowen’s Bittersweet and as much as I loved Griffin and Audrey, Jude is who stayed with me. So I was beyond excited to get to read his story in Steadfast, even though I knew it had the potential to be the kind of story that breaks me. And it definitely broken me, but in the best way possible. Jude and Sophie’s story was just an incredibly touching one, even if they didn’t have the easiest of times making their relationship work To say there was a lot standing in their way would be quite the understatement because at times it felt like everything and everyone was against them. But they made it through and their story often had me in tears. But it was okay though, because despite the need for tissues while reading, I finished the book with a big smile on my face. Because as much as Steadfast broke my heart, it also put it back together. And stories that do that are my absolute favourite. Not only that, but through all the heartbreak and pain, Sarina Bowen injected an element of hope in the story that left me believing that no matter how bad things are, there’s always a little bit of hope, especially if you’re willing to fight for that hope. 

I was craving Jude’s story from the moment I first met him in Bittersweet. There was just something about him that spoke to me and I wanted to hear his story no matter how heartbreaking and difficult to read it would be. And while reading that story, I felt completely in love with Jude. In fact, I don’t think it would have been possible for me to not fall in love with him. Jude had definitely made some poor decisions in the past but he was working so hard to not repeat his mistakes and move on with his life. He struggled and his struggle broke my heart. But I also wanted him to catch a break, to finally have something go his way. And that something came in the form of Sophie, even if both of them were trying to resist falling back in love (did they ever really stop loving each other, though?) with each other. And I loved Sophie just as much as I loved Jude. Though she wasn’t struggling with addiction the way Jude was, Sophie had her own set of struggles and it seemed like at times she had no one in her corner. Except for Jude, even if he didn’t think he was good enough for her. And I know I’ve already said it, but Jude and Sophie just worked together and I don’t think I’ve ever rooted for a couple more than I rooted for them.

Sarina Bowen’s Steadfast was a beautiful and heartbreaking story and I loved every single moment of it. I am completely hooked on her True North series and I can’t wait to read the next book, Keepsake. And I’m pretty much dying to know who will be joining Zach in that story. 

Bittersweet by Sarina Bowen + Q&A

Title: Bittersweet (True North #1)

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Release Date: June 14, 2016

Source: ARC from Publicist

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Kobo

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the orchard.

The last person Griffin Shipley expects to find stuck in a ditch on his Vermont country road is his ex-hookup. Five years ago they'd shared a couple of steamy nights together. But that was a lifetime ago.

At twenty-seven, Griff is now the accidental patriarch of his family farm. Even his enormous shoulders feel the strain of supporting his mother, three siblings and a dotty grandfather. He doesn't have time for the sorority girl who's shown up expecting to buy his harvest at half price.

Vermont was never in Audrey Kidder's travel plans. Neither was Griff Shipley. But she needs a second change with the restaurant conglomerate employing her. Okay--a fifth chance. And no self-righteous lumbersexual farmer will stand in her way.

They's adversaries. They want entirely different things from life. Too bad their sexual chemistry is as hot as Audrey's top secret enchilada sauce, and then some.

In the past year, Sarina Bowen has quickly become one of my go-to authors when I want some good romance. I have yet to pick up one of her books and not find myself completely charmed by the characters and swept up in the romance. And it was no different with her latest, Bittersweet.

If you're familiar at all with Sarina Bowen and her books, then you know that her books tend to revolve around sports and athletes. But Bittersweet is a departure from the hockey players, skiers, and snowboarders she's written about in the past. Instead, it's about chefs and farmers and cider makers (as a side note, if you don't find yourself craving hard cider by the time you finish reading Bittersweet, there's something wrong with you...I'm only mostly kidding). Just like with the world of high level sports, Sarina Bowen brings the world of Vermont farmers to life. I'm not exaggerating when I say that Bittersweet made me want to hop into a car and take a roadtrip to the Vermont countryside to see some of the sceneries Griffin and Audrey describe in the story. And if it were fall, I would totally be heading to an orchard for some apple picking. It honestly felt like the setting was a character in this story just as much as Griffin, Audrey and the whole Shipley clan. It just came to life while I was reading. And it wasn't the only part of the story that felt completely real.

Whenever I read one of Sarina Bowen's books, I always want to be friends with the characters by the time I finish reading the story. There's just something about them. As you might have guessed it was no different with Griffin and Audrey. I absolutely loved both of them. I loved Griff despite his grumpy and gruff tendencies. Though I wasn't sure about Audrey's flightiness at first, I was completely charmed by the end of the book. And they just balanced each other out so well. Audrey made Griff less serious and all business all the time by reminding him to just have fun sometimes, while Griff showed Audrey that she was more than the disappointment her mother had led her to believe she was her whole life. They were just so freaking great and adorable together. But Audrey and Griff weren't the only people I wanted to be friends with. By the time I finished Bittersweet I wanted to be an honorary member of the Shipley family. I loved reading about the whole family, and seeing the way they were all there for each other, regardless of if they were related by blood or just someone they had taken in. And I'm more than excited to keep getting glimpses of this big, crazy family in future True North books.

In case it wasn't completely obvious by now, I absolutely ADORED Sarina Bowen's Bittersweet. I completely fell in love with the story, setting and characters and I was sad to reach the final page of the book. Thankfully, Steadfast, the next in the series, is out soon because I cannot wait to get my hands on it!

Q&A with Sarina Bowen

All your previous books (and your new series kicking off in the fall!) feature athletes, what made you was to move away from that?

I love athletes, but I’m surrounded by the coolest, hippest innovative farmers, and I thought it would be fantastic to explore their world. And Griff is an ex-football player, because I couldn’t help myself.

In Bittersweet, Griffin makes artisanal cider. What was the research process like for that aspect of the story?

You should see my recycling bin! #notkidding. We drink lots of tasty ciders at my house, and many of them are locally made. Vermont (and New Hampshire) are ground zero for cider appreciation. It’s awesome.

When you’re looking for your next story, where do you look for inspiration?

I don’t even have to look, they just find me in newspaper stories and blog posts and on Twitter.

What about the romance genre appeals to you as a writer?

Happy endings are really important to me. I love that quest.

Describe Bittersweet in one sentence.

Take one perky chef, add one grumpy farmer, season until scorching and serve hot.

Cover Reveal: Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen + Giveaway

I'm so excited to be taking part in the cover reveal for Sarina Bowen's Rookie Move today. Rookie Move is the first book is Sarina Bowen's upcoming Brooklyn Bruisers series, a spinoff of her Ivy Years series and I couldn't be more excited about it. I've read and loved all five books in the Ivy Years series, so Rookie Move? I am all over that. And if you've read the last book in that series, The Fifteenth Minute, then you might already recognize some of the names in the Rookie Move description. 

But that's enough rambling from me. If you want to see the cover or are interested in winning one of Sarina Bowen's books and naming a character in the next Brooklyn Bruisers book, then just keep scrolling!

Title: Rookie Move (Brooklyn Bruisers #1)

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Berkley Sensation

Release Date: September 6, 2016

Pre-Order: Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo / Google

In high school they were the perfect couple—until the day Georgia left Leo in the cold…

Hockey player Leo Trevi has spent the last six years trying to do two things: get over the girl who broke his heart, and succeed in the NHL. But on the first day he’s called up to the newly franchised Brooklyn Bruisers, Leo gets checked on both sides, first by the team’s coach—who has a long simmering grudge, and then by the Bruisers’ sexy, icy publicist—his former girlfriend Georgia Worthington.

Saying goodbye to Leo was one of the hardest things Georgia ever had to do—and saying hello again isn’t much easier. Georgia is determined to keep their relationship strictly professional, but when a press conference microphone catches Leo declaring his feelings for her, things get really personal, really fast…

“Romantic ad hilarious, Rookie Move will hook you from page one. Nobody does hockey like Sarina Bowen.”—Elle Kennedy, New York Times bestselling author of the Off Campus series.

Want to win a paperback of your choice of one of Sarina Bowen's books? Want to name one of Leo's teammates in the second Brooklyn Bruisers book? Just use the Rafflecopter form below to enter the giveaway!

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Us by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Title: Us (Him #2)

Author: Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: March 8, 2016

Source: ARC from Publicist

Buy the Book: Amazon

Can your favorite hockey players finish their first season together undefeated?

Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He’s living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves—Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend. There’s just one problem: the most important relationship of his life is one he needs to keep hidden, or else face a media storm that will eclipse his success on the ice.

Jamie loves Wes. He really, truly does. But hiding sucks. It’s not the life Jamie envisioned for himself, and the strain of keeping their secret is taking its toll. It doesn’t help that his new job isn’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped, but heinous he can power through it as long as he has Wes. At least apartment 10B is their retreat, where they can always be themselves.

Or can they? When Wes’s nosiest teammate moves in upstairs, the threads of their carefully woven life begin to unravel. With the outside world determined to take its best shot at them, can Wes and Jamie develop major-league relationship skills on the fly.

Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen’s HIM was one of my favourite books of 2015 and is one of my all-time favourites. I could honestly read about Wes and Jamie forever. So reading a second book all about them? I was in heaven. And after reading US, I can now say that I love these two boys even more than I did before.

Ryan Wesley has everything he’s always wanted: a fantastic rookie NHL season and Jamie, hist best friend and the boy he’s been in love with for years. But the outside world doesn’t know that Jamie is his boyfriend, not just his roommate. To protect his first season in the NHL, Wes and Jamie are keeping their relationship hidden. And hiding is taking its toll on Jamie. Jamie has never been ashamed of who he is and wants nothing more than to be with Wes. And if being with Wes means continuing to hide their relationship until the end of the season, Jamie will do it. When one of Wes’s teammates moves into their building, everything starts to slowly unravel. Will Jamie and Wes be able to find their way through the mess together?

I’m always a little worried when it comes to romance novels and sequels. Especially when the couple got their Happily Ever After (or Happily For Now) at the end of the first book. As much as I want to read about my favourite couples forever, any good story is going to involve some kind of conflict and in romance that conflict inevitably ends up being within the couple. I just don’t like it when couples I love in a book are in trouble. I just want them to be together and happy forever. But this other part of me just wants to read about my favourite couples all the time so I get excited when I hear about sequels. When Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen announced that they were writing a sequel to HIM, I was ecstatic. I couldn’t wait to go back to reading about Jamie and Wes, even though I didn’t want anything to happen to them. But I trusted that Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen wouldn’t be writing this story if they didn’t feel like it was worth telling. And having now read US, I can say that this story was total perfection. It showed that even when you get your happily ever after, it’s not always perfect and that there are growing pains along the way. Because that’s just the way that life is and it’s something that Wes and Jamie had to learn together. And I loved seeing these two find their way and fight for each other once again. It was just so great to back to these characters and this story. Even when things weren’t quite going the way I wanted them to go, I was smiling the whole time I was reading. I just couldn’t help it, it’s just the effect that Wes and Jamie have on me. 

When I read HIM last year, I fell completely in love with Jamie and Wes. I absolutely ADORE these two boys. After reading US, that’s even more true. Reading US, I got to see another side of them. Where in HIM they were falling for each other, in US it was about the day to day of their relationship. I loved seeing them that way, even if it wasn’t always easy for them, what with having to keep their relationship hidden from Wes’s team. It hurt my heart to see them struggle, at times it downright broke my heart to see their pain. It hurt to see both of them struggle with the situation and not knowing what to do about it. You could tell that Wes felt horrible because Jamie wasn’t happy, but he was at a complete loss for how to make him feel better. And Jamie didn’t want to to bring Wes down with the fact that he felt miserable which only made him feel worse. I just wanted them to find a way back to being themselves because they’re at their best when they’re together. And now I would like to take a moment to talk about Wes’s teammate Blake. Here’s the thing, at first I really thought I wasn’t going to like Blake and that he would end up screwing everything up. But then he kept popping up and being his ridiculous self and I couldn’t help but laugh at his antics. By the end of the book? I was completely charmed by Blake and now I totally want him to have his own book. Preferably one that also involves Jamie’s sister Jess. Because reasons. Read US and I’m sure you’ll understand and agree with me. 

US was complete perfection. I am so glad that Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen decided to write this chapter of Wes and Jamie’s story. I can only hope that these two authors continue to collaborate because I will read anything and everything they write. 

The Fifteenth Minute by Sarina Bowen

Title: The Fifteenth Minute (The Ivy Years #5)

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Release Date: October 13, 2015

Source: ARC from Publicist

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Kobo

Freshman Lianne Chalice is known to millions of fans as Princess Vindi. But sometimes a silver screen sorceress just wants to hang up her wand, tell her manager to shove it, and become a normal college student. Too bad that’s harder than it looks.

She’s never lived a normal life. She hasn’t been to school since kindergarten. And getting close to anyone is just too risky—the last boy she kissed sold the story to a British tabloid.

But she can’t resist trying to get close to Daniel “DJ” Trevi, the hot, broody guy who spins tunes for hockey games in the arena. There’s something haunting his dark eyes and she needs to know more.

DJ’s genius is for expressing the mood of the crowd with a ten second song snippet. With just a click and a fade, he can spread hope, pathos or elation among six thousand screaming fans.

Too bad his college career is about to experience the same quick fade-out as one of his songs. He can’t get close to Lianne, and he can’t tell her why. And the fact that she seems to like him at all? Incredible.

Over the summer, I read the first four books in Sarina Bowen’s Ivy Years series in the span of a week. While traveling. That’s how addicting the books were. And the moment I finished, I was dying for the next one. And when I got The Fifteenth Minute, I read it all in a day.

Lianne Challice hasn’t had the most normal life up until now. To most of the world, she is Princess Vindi, a sorceress in a series of blockbuster movies. Now in her second semester of freshman year, all Lianne wants is to be a normal college student. And that includes a boyfriend. But when you’re famous, finding a boy who won’t sell your relationship secrets to the tabloids is easier said than done. When she meets DJ, the guy in charge of music at hockey games, Lianne knows she can trust him. But DJ isn’t having the best year, and the last thing he needs is to be getting close to Lianne. But no matter what he does, Lianne keeps coming back. DJ can only keep pulling away for so long before Lianne doesn’t come back.

I binge read series pretty often. It’s kind of something you end up doing at some point or another when you’re an avid reader. But binge reading a series while also travelling with a friend is something I hadn’t done before. But it’s something I did when I picked up the first four books of Sarina Bowen’s Ivy Years. Basically, any time I wasn’t doing touristy stuff, I had my face glued to my Kindle (thankfully, the friend I was travelling with reads just as much as I do so she understood). And once I finished those four books, I was DYING for more. And so the moment it landed in my inbox, I started reading The Fifteenth Minute. And Sarina Bowen did not let me down. I DEVOURED this book. Like, stayed-on-my-couch-all-day-couldn’t-put-my-kindle-down devoured. It was just that good. And it should come as no surprise that I totally loved the romance between DJ and Lianne. It wasn’t perfect, but it was the kind of romance that just puts a smile on my face and makes me hope they can overcome all the obstacles standing in their way. It was just adorable.

But one of the things that I have absolutely loved about Sarina Bowen’s books is how she weaves serious subjects into the story without taking away from the relatively fun nature of the book. And she did it again in an interesting way in The Fifteenth Minute. It’s a pretty well-known fact that universities everywhere have serious issues when it comes to sexual assault cases. When we hear about these cases, it’s typically because the schools aren’t doing anything to help the victims. But with this story, Sarina Bowen showed the other side of the problem. She showed how schools struggle to investigate cases and sometimes someone gets wrongly accused because the schools are so worried about making sure they don’t get any flack for not doing anything for the victim. Through DJ’s story, Sarina Bowen really showed that this can happen and how it can be really damaging to someone. 

I shouldn’t really have to say it, but I loved DJ and Lianne. They were just so freaking adorable together. On the one hand you had this girl who is an actress and has connections to all these famous people, but who really just wants to get away from all that. On the other, you have this boy who can’t believe that someone like Lianne would like him. But they were so perfect for each other. And I loved them individually as well, obviously. I just wanted people to stop giving Lianne grief about being a famous actress and just let her live her life. And I loved how much of a geek she was, whether it was writing scripts for her favourite video games or making pop culture references in conversation. I just loved her. And DJ might officially be my favourite boy that Sarina Bowen has written. I loved him, plain and simple. And I felt horrible for what he was going through. And I wanted everything to work out for him. And he was just adorable and I loved him. I don’t really know how else to say it. Maybe I should have gone to my university’s hockey games in case we had a cute guy in charge of the music. But that’s besides the point. The point is that I loved Lianne and DJ something fierce. And I loved all the glimpses I got of the different people from the previous books, and those just reaffirmed that Bella is awesome.

In case it wasn’t clear by this long and ramble-y review, I absolutely loved Sarina Bowen’s The Fifteenth Minute. This story had just the right amount of fun and serious that made it so I just couldn’t stop reading. If you love NA romance and haven’t picked up any of Sarina Bowen’s books, do yourself and favour and read one. You won’t regret it.

Series Review - The Ivy Years by Sarina Bowen

Every so often, I go through a period where I read a series in a really short amount of time. That's what happened with Sarina' Bowen's Ivy Years series: I read the four full-length books that are out in the span of a week.

THE SERIES

This series revolves around the Harkness College men's hockey team, its players, and the people linked to the team. Thought there were some things in the books that weren't always my favourite, I still got completely sucked into the books and loved reading every single one of the books and I can't wait for more books in this series.

Title: The Year We Fell Down (The Ivy Years #1)

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Release Date: March 20, 2014

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

The sport she loves is out of reach. The boy she loves has someone else. What now?

She expected to start Harkness College as a varsity ice hockey player. But a serious accident means that Corey Callahan will start school in a wheelchair instead.

Across the hall, in the other handicapped-accessible dorm room, lives the too-delicious-to-be-real Adam Hartley, another would-be hockey star with his leg broken in two places. He’s way out of Corey’s league.

And he’s taken.

Nevertheless an unlikely alliance blooms between Corey and Hartley in the “gimp ghetto” of McHerrin Hall. Over tequila, perilously balanced dining hall trays, and video games, the two cope with disappointments that nobody else understands.

They’re just friends, of course, until one night when things fall apart. Or fall together. All Corey knows is that she’s falling. Hard.

But will Hartley set aside his trophy girl to love someone as broken as Corey? If he won’t, she will need to find the courage to make a life for herself at Harkness—one which does not revolve around the sport she can no longer play, or the brown-eyed boy who’s afraid to love her back.

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

Corey was supposed to play hockey in college but an accident during a game puts her in a wheel chair and ends her hockey career. When she gets to Harkness College, her dorm room is across the hall from Adam Hartley's. Hartley, the star of the men's hockey team, is out for the season with a fractured leg. There's an instant connection between Corey and Hartley, but there's one problem: Hartley's already taken.

WHAT I THOUGHT

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the story in The Year We Fell Down because of the fact that Harley is supposed to be with someone else for a good chunk of the book. I'm not opposed to cheating in books if it's done right, in fact I've written a whole post on the subject. But I was afraid of what it would mean for Corey in this particular case. So I started reading, a little apprehensively, and I immediately fell in love with the friendship that Corey and Hartley had going. It was really fun to read the back and forth between them. But then the story took an interesting turn and I wasn't sure how to feel. I loved Hartley and Corey but I wasn't sure what to feel about what one of them does. There was some seriously questionable behaviour and I didn't know how it was going to play out in the rest of the story. By the end of the book, things had been worked out and I was happy with the way it all went down. Out of the whole series (or at least what's out so far), The Year We Fell Down wasn't my favourite, but it was still a story I really enjoyed reading and one that convinced me to check out the rest of the Ivy Years series.

Title: The Year We Hid Away (The Ivy Years #2)

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Release Date: June 1, 2014

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

She’s hiding something big. He’s hiding someone small.

Scarlet Crowley’s life was torn apart the day her father was arrested for unspeakable crimes. Now the shock has worn off, but not the horror.

It’s a safe bet that Scarlet is the only first year at Harkness College who had to sneak past TV news trucks parked on her front lawn just to leave town. But college will be Scarlet’s fresh start. Clutching a shiny new study ID—with a newly minted name on it—she leaves it all behind. Even if it means lying to the boy she’s falling for.

Bridger McCalley is a varsity hockey star known for being a player both on and off the ice. But a sobering family crisis takes that all away. Protecting his sister means a precarious living arrangement and constant deception. The only bright spot in his week is the few stolen hours he spends with Scarlet. 

The two form a tentative relationship based not eh understanding that somethings must always be held back. But when grim developments threaten them both, going it along just won’t work anymore. And if they can’t learn to trust one another now, the families who let them down will take everything they’ve struggled to keep. 

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

College is going to be Scarlet's fresh start. She's changed her name to escape her family drama and she's hoping to fly under the radar when she gets to Harkness. Bridger was a star on the men's hockey team until last year. But now his family has to come first. That means protecting his little sister and hoping no one finds out she's been staying in his dorm room. Scarlet and Bridger tentatively start a relationship, but with the state of each of their lives, everything could quickly and easily fall apart.

WHAT I THOUGHT

I was really curious about The Year We Hid Away. I'd gotten to know Bridger briefly in the first book and wanted to find out more about him. And I wanted to know more about Scarlet based on the synopsis. There ended up being a lot more to the story than I thought there was going to be: Scarlet had to deal with the fact that her famous father was arrested on child molestation charges, while Bridger had to care for his little sister because their junkie mother was putting her in danger. It was really interesting to read these two people's stories individually, but also seeing them come together and support the other with what they were going through. In light of everything they were going through, I was really rooting for Scarlet and Bridger, individually and as a couple. Also, it should be said that Bridger's little sister was adorable and there were plenty of times when she totally stole the show for me. I loved The Year We Hid Away. There were many moments when this story broke my heart but in the end, I loved the way this story all came together. 

Title: The Understatement of the Year (The Ivy Years #3)

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Release Date: October 15, 2014

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.

Five years ago, imchael Graham betrayed the only person who ever really knew him. Since then, he’s made an art of hiding his sexuality from everyone. Including himself.

So it’s a shock when his past strolls right into the Harkness College locker room, sporting a bag of hockey gear and the same slow smile that had always rendered Graham defenceless. For Graham, there is only one possible reaction: total, debilitating panic. With one loose word, the team’s new left wing could destroy Graham’s life as he knows it.

John Rikker is stuck being the new guy. Again. And it’s worse than usual, because the media has latched onto the story of the only “out” player in Division One hockey. As the satellite trucks line the sidewalk outside the rink, his new teammates are not amused. 

And one player in particular looks sick every time he enters the room.

Richer didn’t exactly expect a warm welcome from Graham. But the guy won’t even meet his eyes. From the looks of it, he’s former…best friend / boyfriend / whatever isn’t doing so well. He drinks too much and can’t focus during practice.

Either the two loneliest guys on the team will self destruct from all the new pressures in their lives, or they can navigate the pain to find a way back to one another. To say that it won’t be easy is the Understatement of the Year.

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

Graham and Rikker were more than friends in high school. But one horrible day changed all of that. Fast forward five years and Rikker is transferring to Harkness College and will be playing on the same hokey team as Graham. Rikker knows who he is and knows what he wants. Graham has been repressing who he is for so long that he doesn't know who he is anymore. Rikker and Graham are set to either self-destruct or finally find their way to another once and for all.

WHAT I THOUGHT

The Understatement of the Year is my favourite of the Ivy Years books that have been published so far. There is nothing I didn't love about this story. I loved that Graham and Rikker had so much history before this story even started. It made for some really interesting and entertaining interactions between them. And I of course loved Rikker and Graham themselves and I wanted for them to be together once and for all so badly. Basically, The Understatement of the Year gave me SO MANY FEELS and continued my streak of good luck when it comes to absolutely fantastic m/m reads this year. I just want to yell about my love for this book from the rooftops and tell everyone I know to read it because it is an absolutely amazing and beautiful stories that will give you ALL THE FEELS.

Title: The Shameless Hour (The Ivy Years #4)

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Release Date: April 12, 2015

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

The girl who’s had everyone meets the boy who has no one.

For Bella, the sweet-talking, free-loving, hip-checking student manager of the Harkness men’s hockey team, sex is a second language. She’s used to being fluent where others stutter, and the things people say behind her back don’t (often) bother her. So she can’t understand why her smoking hot downstairs neighbor has so much trouble staying friends after they spontaneous night together. She knows better than to worry about it, but there’s something in those espresso eyes that makes her second guess herself.

Rate is appalled with himself for losing his virginity in a drunken hookup. His strict Catholic upbringing always emphasized loving thy neighbor—but not with a bottle of wine and a box of condoms. The result is an Ivy League bout of awkwardness. But when Bellea is levelled by a little bad luck and a downright sinister fraternity stunt, it’s Rafe who is there to pick up the pieces.

Bella doesn’t want Rafe’s help, and she’s through with men. Good bad the undeniable spark that crackles between the two of them just can’t be extinguished.

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

Bella loves hockey players and isn't shy about it. She doesn't care about what people say about her behind her back, and sometimes even to her face. She's never had trouble with boys before, so she can't quite understand what went wrong after the night she spent with Rafe. Rafe doesn't do hook ups and he can't believe what happened with him and Bella. When Bella is the victim of a fraternity prank, Rafe is determined to help her, even if Bella isn't interested in his help.

WHAT I THOUGHT

I loved The Shameless Hour, especially because of the way Sarina Bowen handled the topic of slut shaming through Bella and what happened to her. I already knew Bella from the previous books in the series and already kind of loved her before I even started reading The Shameless Hour. So what happens to her in this book broke my heart and I was so angry on her behalf. What happened to her was horrible and I loved that is wasn't handled lightly or brushed away in the story. And I loved Rafe for how he was with Bella. I was immediately charmed by Rafe and my love for him just grew with every page of this story that I read. He was the best kind of guy you could ask for. And I also want to mention Lianne because she was fantastic and I can't wait to read her story. The Shameless Hour was a fantastic story and one that handles the issue of slut shaming right. And when it comes down to it, we need more books that do that.

VERDICT ON THE SERIES?

I am so totally loving Sarina Bowen's Ivy Years series. I love the sports romance just as much as I love the various topics and issues that have been handled in each of the books. I've loved each of the books I've read so far and I can't wait to read more. The Fifteenth Minute just can't come soon enough!

Him by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Title: Him

Author: Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: July 28, 2015

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

They don’t play for the same team. Or do they?

Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.

Ryan Wesley’s biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he’ll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.

Jamie has waiting a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions—can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend…and a big one to learn about himself. 

I love sports romance something fierce, especially the NA variety. And I love a good m/m romance. When I heard that two authors whose romance books I love were writing an m/m sports NA? I was all over that. It should go without saying that I absolutely adored Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy’s Him.

Four years ago, Ryan Wesley pushed the boundaries of his relationship with his best friend. On their last night at hockey camp, things got heated and one night changed their friendship completely. After that night, Wes cut Jamie off completely. Fast forward four years and Jamie and Wes are about to face off in the college hockey championship. When they see each other for the first time since that last night of camp, things quickly go back to the way they were before. But when Wes shows up at camp to join Jamie on the coaching staff, things are going to be heating up in ways neither one of them ever expected. Both Wes and Jamie have discoveries to make about each other. But more importantly, about themselves.

2015 has apparently been the year where I read all the awesome m/m romances. To be completely honest, they’re not really something I’d really read before this year. It’s not that I was opposed to them, there just weren’t really any on my radar. But I seem to be on a roll with the m/m romance this year, and the latest in that streak is Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy’s Him. Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen are two romance authors whose individual books I have loved (I’ve gushed plenty about Elle’s Off-Campus series, and gushing about Sarina’s Ivy Years series is coming soon) so when they announced they were writing a romance about gay hockey players, I was beyond excited. And when Him landed on my Kindle, I pretty much dropped everything and started reading it right away. And I read it all in less than a day. Because once I started, I couldn’t bring myself to stop. This story was fun. It was touching. It was sweet. At times it was downright hilarious. And at others it was heartbreaking. But I loved every single page of it. Him is absolutely one of my favourite books I’ve read this year and is quite possibly one of the sweetest and most touching romances I’ve ever read. It was just THAT GOOD. And I fully plan to talk people’s ears off about it and recommend it to everyone I know. Because anyone who loves romance is pretty much guaranteed to love Him. At least that’s my opinion on the subject.

One of the reasons I loved Him so much is because I pretty much adored Wes and Jamie. I don’t really know how to put either one of them into words other than to say I loved them. But I’ll try even if  I won’t even come close to doing them justice. One of my favourite things about Wes and Jamie were that they had a history. They’d known each other since they were thirteen years old and you could just tell. They were so comfortable around each other and it made their relationship feel real and genuine. The back and forth between them was always so fun and the more quiet moments could be incredibly touching. Wes and Jamie just worked together even though they were pretty different. Sure they both played hockey, but where Jamie was the definition of laidback, Wes was always on the go, likely getting himself in trouble. I loved how easygoing Jamie was, how he was always willing to go with along with whatever potentially crazy idea Wes had. And so often my heart broke for Wes, because he felt like he had to hide his feelings. I just wanted to give him a hug. So I loved Jamie. And I loved Wes. And most of all, I loved Jamie and Wes together. 

If you are a fun of either Sarina Bowen’s or Elle Kennedy’s books, I can guarantee you will love Him. The story was sweet, it was hilarious, it was touching, it was everything I could have ever wanted it to be. Him is the kind of book that reminds me why I love romance stories as much as I do.